Here are the "proper" views of the proposed Coyle property development.
Adam Dickey is the chairman of the Floyd County Democratic Party. He's on the redevelopment commission. He's a player, a power broker, and a ham-fisted censor customarily unwilling to engage in substantive conversation with those outside his immediate zone of aggrandizement -- but that's just politics.
When Adam Dickey, Jeff Gahan, David Duggins or anyone else in city government finally deign to explain to the rest of us exactly what they mean by these frequent Quality of Life utterances, then maybe the rest of us will be able to view 20-something million dollars of TIF debt over three years in something approximating a proper context.
Until they do, and apart from the merits of this particular project and all the others that must be incentivized by borrowing against the future, it's all smoke, mirrors and vacuous verbiage ... and places to hang plaques and re-election posters.
Did the UEA board finally authorize the economic impact expenditure?
Does the reality of a GOP super majority in the Indiana legislature questioning the future of TIF enter into civic calculations?
How strong are these TIFS, anyway?
Transparency. It should be the theme of the remainder of this year, and all the years to come. This group isn't capable of transparency, is it?
Action begins for upscale apartment project in downtown New Albany, by Daniel Suddeath (N and T)
NEW ALBANY — The first step by the city to facilitate a $16 million apartment project at the former Coyle Chevrolet site downtown was taken Tuesday.
The New Albany Redevelopment Commission approved a declaratory resolution to include a portion of the Coyle Site, which is located along East Spring Street, into the downtown tax-increment financing district ...
... Though the discussion wasn’t directly related to the apartment project, the commission spoke about TIF funding during Tuesday’s meeting after receiving a regular report on the status of the districts.
State lawmakers are considering legislation that would cut back on TIF for local government, and commission members said such measures don’t take into account the importance of that funding for municipalities.
“It would affect our quality of life, and we would be a lesser city for it,” said commission member Adam Dickey.
When I think upscale, I think apartment balconies and patios should be deeper than the windows are wide.
ReplyDeleteJust room enough for a 8" hibachi grill, maybe? The upscale apartment dwellers won't be able to sit in a lawn chair and enjoy the traffic zooming by on such a tiny sliver of concrete. That's quality of life?
Then again, maybe the patio doors won't open. Then folks walking down the street wouldn't be able to get in that way on the first floor. Right on the sidewalk! Howdy, upscale apartment renter!
Are there really that many people walking down the streets of New Albany crying because there aren't enough "upscale" apartments to rent?
Why can't developments in New Albany stand on their own merit? Why the continual need for city "assistance" in the form money?
If this project's claimed needs and benefits were real, developers would have built something on this property years ago.
Adam Dickey got his political start with Tom Cannon, so does it surprise you that he has no clue about sound public policy?
ReplyDeleteThe stacked, multi-story exterior staircases look deadly as well - "upscale" doesn't include secure elevators? Look at the end of the building, with the lovely, open air staircases.
ReplyDelete"Hello, "upscale" apartment tenant, climb the stairs with your bags of groceries that you had to drive somewhere to buy because there are no grocery stores near your "upscale" apartments."
Oh, I know, all of these "upscale" tenants will eat out every night, because the tenants are just "better" - after all, they live in "upscale" apartments.
Walk up, multi-story flats aren't exactly upscale. Do you want people from the street to able to climb the stairs up to your front door and wait for you to come home when you're paying high end, "upscale" rent? What we're being told and what we're seeing doesn't add up.
I bet the city offered the 4 million dollars before they had final plans. Oh well… it's not their money - just every tax payer's money...
Free Pillsbury pastries to the first 50 tenants, lets find a way to save those jobs Dough Boy Gahan.
ReplyDelete